Why Custom Replacement Window Offer More Options

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This post will look at different options to consider when purchasing replacement windows.

So you know that you need to replace your windows. Maybe you have high energy bills, drafts, condensation issues or windows that are in bad shape. The next thing you need to do is figure out what you want to replace them with. If you go to the big box home improvement store they’ll often tell you that you need to replace like with like or similar, and that you need to replace with the same size. The thing is, the windows in the big box home improvement stores only come in certain premade sizes and styles and options. Why should you be stuck with a style window you don’t necessarily want? So what do you do? You probably know my answer here – get custom replacement windows. Now I’ll tell you why.

My house is over forty years old. Every window in the house was a wood frame single pane window with no coating.

This is the old window from my laundry room on the left and the old window from TJ’s from on the right.

What did I hate about these? Well I hated that they were falling apart but I didn’t hate them for that. I hated them because they were nearly impossible to clean. Because of where they were located they were hard to clean. To raise the windows up and clean I had to stand on my son’s bed or stand on the washer and dryer. What a pain! Those windows were double hung with a wood casing, sealed on the inside and painted on the outside. Over the years they chipped and started to rot and fall apart. We checked the two major home improvement stores and they said we couldn’t replace with vinyl tilt-in windows because of the size. Why is size important? The main reason, but not the only one, is because if your windows are the wrong size then they will not have the best fit and be as energy efficient as they can be.

Now take a look at my old kitchen window.

That window was single paned and opened with a crank on the inside. What a pain! Over time the crank mechanism got difficult to use and after a while we couldn’t even open the right window. When the left window was open it seemed like someone outside always hit their head. And these two were difficult to clean. I had to kneel on the edge of the sink to clean these. The local home center wasn’t sure what to suggest we put there, because they carried no window to fit an opening that size.

Now for our biggest problem.

This is my old living room window.

Nobody wanted anything to do with that window. They told us the windows on each end were odd sizes and that the picture window was an odd size too. Numerous sales people as well as a few companies told us we’d have to rebuild that wall, which we didn’t have the money for.

I started looking into custom replacement windows and discovered that I could replace any or all of my windows with many styles of windows including tilt-in, casement, awning, slider, vegetable, architectural, bay, bow and fixed frame. My choice was suddenly not so limited! And it got better! not only could I choose the type of window I could have, I could choose it’s decorative look and it’s energy saving level!

All of Janek Industries models come standard with multi-chambered maintenance free vinyl frames and double insulated glass. After that you can choose to upgrade to triple glass or a foam filled frame, as well as choose things like half or full screens, color and grid style! Yes, I said color! How cool is that! Using their AccuMatch system they can color window interiors, exteriors or both! So if you’re trying to match an existing color or look, or maybe restore to a historical look, you can do so easily! Or, if you live in one of those “association” communities that have become so popular in our area, you can match all of your neighbors and conform to the rules. I never wanted grids because I thought they’d be too much work to clean. Turns out the grids are built inside of the window, so they wouldn’t attract all of the pollen and dirt that I’d expect they would have accumulated. You can not only choose where to have the grids, top or whole window, you can choose how many squares are in the grid too. Now that’s a lot of options! More options than we were ever given at the local home improvement center.

I’d love to help with any questions on replacement windows that you might have, or to hear any window replacing stories. Feel free to leave your question or comment below.

This post is part of a series I will be sharing with you and is based on a relationship that I have with Jantek Windows. Some topics that I will be covering in future posts are manufacturing and installation.

Jantek Windows serves the residential replacement window market through three distinct market channels that cover about fourteen states. They distribute nationally through their exclusive Appleby Dealers and The Window Source. Their Factory Direct Contractor program provides approved contractors with custom sizes, expedited manufacturing lead times, and special pricing, as well as technical support, product training and field service support. They sell direct in the Mid-Atlantic area through the Jantek Factory Showroom, with or without installation service, and well below retail prices.

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